Pureheart
by TheSadhatter
Summary: The Island of Honshu is not the only place in the world with strange happenings involving aliens, time travelers, sliders, and espers. Follow the story of Kiyoshi as he discovers his hidden powers and realizes his role in the universe. A main cast of OC's and series characters. CC and reviews welcomed.
1. Chapter 1

Please If you enjoy the story, support me with CC and commentary. It motivates me to work!

And as always: The universe and original stories of the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya series belongs to Nagaru Tanigawa. I am only borrowing it for my own pleasure and boredom.

* * *

Book One

The Revelations

Chapter 1

_A Boring, Monotonous, and Entirely Uneventful Day_

You know it's going to be a _good_ day when you wake up with a headache, on a gloomy and foggy morning, with your mom yelling at you for the third time to get up to get ready for the first day of school. The idea of getting out of my warm and cozy bed sounded entirely unappealing and arduous. Nothing is as worse in the morning than to leave a warm bed. As I walked out the front door, with a piece of toast wedged in my mouth, my mom gave me a big hug and smiled saying "Be the best you can be!" Rolling my eyes I was greeted by ever grinning friend Hayato.

"Hey Kiyo!" he beamed, "so's, ready for school?"

"As ready as I'm ever going to be." I responded matter-of-factly. I could have honestly cared less about high school since I found no challenge in it.

"That's no attitude for the first day back!" Hayato frowned yet somehow still managed to keep his signature grin. "I mean thinks about all the girls man!" His grin intensified exposing his prominent k-9 teeth.

"Well if anything, your only gonna attract girls that are into vampires or something with those teeth of yours."

He brought up his arm assuming a Count Dracula-esc pose "Bleh! I vill suck yours bloods!" we started to laugh, his "S" lisp making it all the more hilarious.

"I don't think you would make a very good vampire, I wouldn't be able to take you seriously" I smiled.

"All's the more reason to be able to gets my victims!" he chuckled. "Well how was the rest of your summer, did yous miss me?"

"Yah this last month was pretty boring." Although that's not to mention the ridiculous amount of déjà vu I had. "But I guess it was alright, how about you?"

"I visited my cousin again and honestly I wish you could have seens where she lives! It's like a palace!"

"Oh really?"

"Yah really!" he laughed "massive gardens, servants and they even have their own mountain!"

"And I thought you were rich. Well sounds like fun I guess." I responded genuinely unenthused.

Hayato looked slightly disappointed "I thought that would have gotten your attention. Guess nots."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Whatevers man, you're just no fun Kiyo!" Hayato pouted. "Heh, well I bet your just jelly… I even got to dress up as a samurai!"

I gave him a quizzical look, "Jelly?"

"Yahs, Jelly, like jealous" he jested

"You sound like an idiot." I laughed.

He turned to me, shooting me another beaming grin "Well Kiyo, we gotsta gets you a girlfriend so's you won't be lonely when I'm gone!"

"Oh shut up…"

"Seriouslys though, you gots the looks, I don't know why the girls aren't all over yah!"

* * *

The walk down to school didn't take too long as it was all downhill. It would be only on the way back that would be a pain. Hayato and I had agreed to go to Bay Point High, a decent school with a decent reputation. We could have gone to a more preppy private high school but Hayato had said "screw that shits, we would have to deal with stuck up pricks and spoilt brats who talks about fancy cars all the time! I just wants to be with normal people anyways." So with that I found myself in an overcrowded class room with twenty-nine other kids waiting for our homeroom teacher to show up. I recognized about half of the class, most of them where talking about how they spent their summer going here and there. I waited quietly, having no one to talk to because Hayato had different morning classes.

As the final bell rung, a tall, husky, and messy blond haired man in his forties entered the room. As I raised my head from my desk I could tell instantly that he was a very warm and easygoing person. With a smile on his face he turned to the class and announced "Hello everyone, I am Mr. Holland! I will be your first period humanities and school advisor. I look forward to a good school year with all of you!" Everyone turned from what they were doing and greeted him in return saying 'good morning Mr. Holland' or 'nice to meet you Mr. H'. We were then assigned our seats and proceeded to introduce ourselves. When it came my turn I introduced myself just as 'Kiyo'. Why you ask? Well it's because I never liked giving my given first name when I came to the states. Whenever I introduced myself as Kiyoshi, people would always butcher the pronunciation and would then result to say "oh like that green dinosaur from Mario?" I became so fed up with it that I gave myself the nickname of 'Kiyo'.

As I finished introducing myself like everyone else had, I looked around at the faces staring at me. They didn't look happy at all, and somehow I wasn't all that surprised. It all started when my mother and I moved here. For some reason everyone hated me (well excluding Hayato and my relatives) because I would get weird looks all the time. I doubted it was racism because of how ethnically mixed everyone is around here. But only moments ago everyone had been smiling and in good spirits, but as soon as my turn came… It was like I was tainted.

"Alright there young lady, it's your turn!"

The girl behind me stood up, or I assumed she did because I didn't hear a single sound of movement. No chair scraping, table wobbling, or the sound of her clothes. Then she spoke in a soft, sweet voice.

"I am Aoi Hirano, pleased to meet you."

And with that she sat down, or at least I assumed she did. I turned around to look at her. She was small, but in a more matured way. Her short black hair was slightly curled and went every which way. Not in a messy and disorderly fashion but was arranged that way naturally. Her eyes were piercing silver, but held a gentle quality to them. She turned her attention to me which caused me to realize that I had been staring at her. Our eyes met and she gave me a petite smile. "It is nice to meet you; I hope we can be friends." Aoi said quietly. She had taken me completely by surprise.

"Yes it's nice to meet you too." I said slightly dumbfounded. I hadn't seen her from the two previous years. I think I would have at least noticed her. She must be new here then, maybe a new exchange student? "You're new here?" I asked.

"Yes." she replied.

Judging by her looks and name I asked, "You're from Japan?"

"Perhaps" She said keeping herself strangely vague. "I am what you can consider alien to this country."

"Aren't we all?" I snorted.

"Perhaps" Aoi smiled.

"You're Kiyoshi right?" I flinched as someone asked. Turing around, I was greeted by the warm smile of Mr. Holland.

"Yes I'm _Kiyoshi_." I responded by correcting his pronunciation of my name. "You can just call me Kiyo, everyone does." Well, if anyone really talked to me _other_ than Hayato and this anomaly siting behind me.

"Sorry, I'll remember to call you Kiyo from now on!" Mr. Holland apologized. "Anyway, I need to talk to you after class. Since we've had major computer problems recently, I need to go over your school transcript to make sure everything is in order." Wow go figures something like that would happen here. "It won't take too long and it's better to get these things over with!" Mr. Holland laughed. I gave him a nod of agreement. Mr. Holland gave me a thumbs up and went about the class doing this and that with the other students.

The rest of my afternoon classes were spent with Hayato which went without much incident. It was a miracle that we didn't get chewed out by our teachers for talking and joking around so much. It's always hard to resist from breaking into hysterics after listening to any of Hayato's many anecdotes. Well I guess even the teachers get a kick out of his good natured humor too! As the bell for dismissal rung I parted ways with Hayato and went to see Mr. Holland. I wish more teachers where like him as he was easygoing and genuine. We got my transcript sorted in no time and I was out in less than ten minutes.

Saying my goodbyes to Mr. Holland I made my way into the hallway. As I gathered my stuff out of my locker I began to notice how eerily quiet the hallways were. I was aware that it was the end of the day and all, but something was awry. There should at least be some activity, namely the janitors or teachers doing their last rounds of work for the day. The only sound I could hear was my own breath and the cries of protest from closing my locker door. I started to make my way towards an exit when someone I hadn't seen before rounded a corner I was absolutely sure nobody could come around. Ok, let me rephrase, some-_thing_ had rounded the corner. It looked like a person, but that would be stretching it. Whatever it was it had no clothes on and was completely smooth apart from pulsating lines that divided its body. Its eyes glowed with inhuman light and its skin was pale and deathly. Its stride was unnerving as each step it took seemed to glide over the ground. Apart from its gangly and disturbing appearance it was trying to mimic a female body.

But what was most disturbing overall was its voice.

"So you are the one that they call Pureheart? I expected to find someone more imposing." Its sweet voice sung.

I was paralyzed with fear. This couldn't be happening right? This has to be a dream! I'm still in class with Hayato right!?

"What a pity. I was hoping for more of a fight, but I guess it doesn't matter as long as I kill you right?" the _thing_ manically smirked. Without as much of a sound it lunged at me with unbelievable speed. I somehow was able to doge its first attack escaping with a flesh wound. But as I desperately tried to get up I found myself unable to move. "I'm sorry but I'm not going to take any chances. With the profile you have, I just want to get this over with." It said soothingly. Raising its right arm its hand grotesquely grew into a scythe. I gasped, my eyes wide and on the verge of tears. "Aww, don't worry; once I behead you, you will only be conscious for six seconds afterwards." The thing chortled.

_This is it isn't it? This is real and I really am going to die!_

As it brought its weight down on me a flash of light severed the thing's scything talon at the elbow. The severed arm flailed in the air a few times until it impaled itself in the ground unpleasantly close to my head. Surprised, the thing backed off without a single trace of pain or discomfort.

"Oh how foolish of me to forget. No wonder you are so hard to kill." The thing said looking a little upset with itself. "It's all because of your little pet bitch!" The thing turned its attention away from me. "Why do you protect him so avidly? Look at him, he is just a pathetic meat sack! And you call him your master, that mere human, how disgusting! No matter I will just have to destroy bo-" Before it could say anything more the thing merely blew apart in a flash of sickly purple ichor.

"Target neutralized." My savior let out a sigh. "If you are going to kill us, it would have been better if you had refrained from going into monologue." The girl turned towards me and offered her hand. "You should get up."

Realizing that I could move freely again I got up with her help. I couldn't believe my eyes as I stared at the girl in front of me.

_Aoi?_

"I wished for us to get to know each other through more normal means, but we do not have the time for formalities." Aoi spoke calmly.

Words could not describe how shocked I was.

"You are hurt, I will assist you." I hadn't noticed but my left side was bleeding quite a bit. I flinched slightly as Aoi put her hand on my wound. Within moments not only had my injury healed, but my clothes were mended as well.

"W-what just happened?" I said finally finding my voice again. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Please stay calm and try to act normal." She grabbed my arm and began to lead us down the hall. "I'm transferring us out of data jurisdiction and back to real space." Suddenly, like a lifting fog, I could tell that the area around me was back to normal. I could hear people and there was activity all throughout the school. Looking back to where Aoi had just annihilated that thing, all traces of its existence had vanished.

"What just happened Aoi? What the hell just happened!?" Yah, stay calm my ass.

"Please, I will explain everything to you once I transfer you home. In the meanwhile just try to relax."

"No, no, NO! I need- I need answers right now!" great job idiot, you're officially panicking now. We were clearly grabbing attention from the looks we were getting. Before I got any worse Aoi pulled me into an empty classroom and closed the door behind us.

"Very well, if you promise to lower you heart rate and return to a stable mental state."

"Who are you? Wait never mind that, I should really say 'what are you' because frankly some-thing just tried to lop of my head and you fucking just blew the SHIT out of it without even trying!"

"Will you please just calm dow-"

"No I'm sorry, but I don't think I can stay calm right now!" I cut her off. "I just need answers." I looked at her sternly.

Aoi simply nodded and began to explain. "I know a lot about you, my job is to observe and monitor you as you are a person of interest to my superiors. You hold a very special power that a very select few possess. Since certain events have escalated beyond the projected data stimuli of the primary subject of interest, you have become a target of several opposing factions to my own." I couldn't believe what I was hearing; let alone I was barely able to follow in my current mental state. "In addition to protecting you I have been instructed by my superiors to…" there was a slight pause as Aoi broke eye contact and looked down for a moment. Her expression had been blank and very hard to read, but I had sensed the sincerity and softness I had seen earlier that morning. "…prepare you for the possibility of earth shattering events."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing!

"You have a destiny, and I am here to guide you."

* * *

The walk home was very quiet. Having calmed down I agreed to have Aoi over at my house so we could talk in private. She walked silently behind me, both of her hands clasped around the strap of her school bag. I took the time to look at what she was wearing, having missed that detail from that morning. She wore a gradated orange T-shirt with very short sleeves that slightly puffed out at the shoulders. Over that she had a sleeveless dark brown jacket that sported a hood and was lined with fake fur. She wore a layered white skirt which just went above her knees. For her feet she sported gladiator styled sandals that matched in color with her skirt.

"Aren't you cold?" I said, breaking the silence between us since leaving the classroom. "I mean, it's been overcast the entire day."

"The weather does not bother me" she responded flatly.

"Oh really…" I sighed, so much for some sort of light conversation to get my mind off of things.

"I'm home." I said quietly to no one in particular as I opened the door to my house. My mom usually worked late so I had the house to myself. We took off our shoes since we still practiced the Japanese custom of having no outdoor shoes in the house. I showed Aoi to the living room and proceeded to the kitchen to make some tea.

"Well this is a way to end the first day of school." I said as I passed a tea cup to my guest.

Aoi sat quietly and began sipping her tea.

"Alright" I grunted taking a seat, "I guess we can continue."

Aoi rested her cup on the table and took in a calming breath. "As I have already stated I have been assigned to observe and monitor you as a person of interest to my superiors. You hold a very special power that a very select few possess. My task now is to prepare you for the possibility of earth shattering events."

"And what might be these 'earth shattering events' you speak of?"

"That… I am unable to tell you."

"Well that doesn't really help me does it now?" I said frustrated.

"Ever since your accident," Aoi continued "your latent ability of data manipulation had been unconsciously activated."

"My accident?"

"I am referring to the incident three years prior in which you suffered massive head trauma in a near fatal accident."

I sighed; I didn't want to be reminded of that. "Well, what do you mean by data manipulation anyway?" I asked trying to take my mind off of the accident.

"You have the ability to manipulate the data around you; in your own words you may even call yourself a psyker."

"That's _insane,_ what sort of proof do you even have?"

"You had sustained massive trauma to your Occipital Lobe. You should not be able to see at all; in fact you are still blind."

"_What?"_

"However since you are able to manipulate data, you have been able to regain the ability to see. Physically, your Occipital Lobe had been destroyed, but your will prevailed. You willed yourself to be able to see again."

I held my tea cup in both hands, listing intently.

"Two years ago you had an incident where you began to understand and talk to animals. Doctors later diagnosed you as having mental trauma and believed that your mind was trying to cope. You took their medicines and suppressed the ability to converse with animals. The truth is, it was not trauma, but you had the ability to be able to converse telepathically with them."

Now that was a weird experience and I couldn't deny that happened…

"In the same year, you had an incident where all of your electronics blew out after you had a fit of rage."

I thought that we just had a really bad power surge…

"Most strangers you encounter find you hard to be around." Yah, what of it? "They do not understand you. Subconsciously people can detect that you are different. That is why they shun you. You are an enigma in which they respond with hostility."

"Enough," I brought up my hand "who are you exactly_?_"

"I am a humanoid interface under the control of the Data Integration Thought Entity. I am not from this world and am what you would consider, _alien_."

I couldn't respond.

We both sat quietly for a while giving me a moment to relax.

"W-would you like more tea?" I managed to get out.

"Yes, thank you" she said softly.

As I went to refresh our cups she began to talk.

"Opposing factions to our own are after you; they know of your powers and will exploit you or most likely destroy you if you are not prepared. That is why you were attacked; to them you are too dangerous to be left alone to live."

"Well even if you say that, aren't you trying to exploit me for your employer's benefit?" I questioned as I reseated myself.

"You may say that of us, but we have no intention of harming you. I am here to prepare you for the inevitable… I am here to protect you."

"Can you prove to me that I have these 'data manipulation' powers?" I asked.

"I will show you." Aoi stood up and walked over to me rapidly to where I was sitting. She reached out her right hand slowly. "Relax" she breathed and placed her palm to my temple.

In an instant her mouth began to move, uttering inhuman, electrical sounds and the room around me vanished. Well to be more precise the room around me had de-resd into a stream of iridescent blue hexes. A floor formed around us made up of the same data hexes, one by one locking into place.

Even after all I had been through that afternoon, rather than terrified as I should have been, I was completely amazed. "This is awesome." I said to myself looking around the vast expanse of space. Lines of what looked like code steamed every which way. Surrounding me were towers made up the same hexes that had formed the floor. Each tower shifted ever so often; releasing beams of light that would travel up to an unfathomable distance.

"What is this place?"

"We are currently in a Data Plume, one of many billions of data hubs that surround this planet." her voice echoed with an electrical ring.

"What do you mean by 'data' anyway?"

"To our understanding, data makes up existence; it is both energy and information and is the bases of physical reality and sentient life."

"Unbelievable…"

"Your mind is completely free in this current space." Aoi's electrical voice rang. "Try to manipulate the data around you and create something."

As I had been so taken in by my surroundings I failed to notice Aoi standing next to me. I was drawn in to what I saw. Her dark hair glowed with a soft, feathery light blue. Her eyes shown with a cool sliver with such depth that anyone could get lost in them. Looking closely I could distinctly see her irises were laced with silken green lines which pulsed in various circuits.

"Hold out your hand, palm up." I broke out of my trance, realizing that I had been staring again, I quickly compiled. "Try to create something simple first, for example a ball."

"How would I go about doing that?" I asked.

"Your hand."

"Right…" I brought my hand up as she had instructed.

"Convince yourself that you currently have a ball in your hand."

"But I don't…" I began but stopped as Aoi just stared me down. "Alright, I'll give it a shot." I closed my eyes and took a slow and deep breath.

"Excellent, open your eyes."

I opened my eyes, catching the last moments of materialization as a cloud of blue pixels wisped away. I smiled as I closed my grip around the ball.

"So you're some sort of computer?" I continued to question her.

"A Humanoid Interface." Aoi corrected.

"Right, a Humanoid Interface… under the control of the Data Integration Thought Entity?"

"Yes."

"What is this 'Entity' by the way? Does it have a name?"

"No, it has no personal name. The Data Integration Thought Entity is a conglomerate of what I can only describe to you as sentient data."

"So it's like a hive mind?" That didn't really paint a pretty picture in my head….

"Yes."

"And because of my said powers, I am an interest to your master?"

"Yes, since three years ago."

"But why are you telling me now and not three years ago?"

"Because you were labeled as a secondary interest, we saw no benefit in interfering unless deemed necessary."

"And now it's necessary because I'm a target?"

"Partially." Aoi took a moment to think. "To my understanding, since the start of the April there has been a drastic increase in data fluctuations. These data fluctuations have been sporadic and unpredictable. In response to these recent events, the Data Integration Thought Entity issued me to activate you."

"Activate me?"

"The Overmind believes that there is an off chance a world changing event might occur. The Overmind also understands that you will be able to correct any errors in our current time-plane if they do occur."

"So in other words, I'm a tool for your master to use." I said unhappy at that realization.

"I didn't mean it in that way." Aoi said crestfallen.

"So why should I trust you?" I pushed on. "Why should I trust that Overmind of yours, aren't you just going to use me?"

"We have no ill intentions, or rather we would regret if you were to fall into the hands of questionable and radical factions..." She answered me honestly. "Our goal is to observe and collect data from your planet in pursuit for achieving auto-evolution. We have no intention to tamper with our current reality. We wish to preserve the status quo and I wish to protect you from harm."

"I see." I left it at that. It was hard to question the sincerity that Aoi was currently projecting.

"Do you wish for more explanations regarding your abilities?" Aoi asked.

"What can you tell me?" I looked at her curiously.

"Your abilities rely solely on what your species perceives as an imagination. Anything that you can imagine can be created."

"So 'the sky's the limit' so to speak?"

"In a sense." Aoi began to elaborate. "If you are referring to scale, if you create something greater than a meter cubed, not only will you exhaust yourself, but whatever you are manipulating will become unstable and collapse. This also applies to mass. The greater the mass, the more energy you will need to sustain the object. In addition, anything you create will deteriorate over time."

"And how long would that be?"

"The longest projected time is within an earth day."

"Well so much for having a vault of gold." I said jokingly

Unimpressed by my material desires Aoi continued to explain. "You cannot create separate dimensions nor travel to them. You cannot time travel. You are not immortal and your powers rely on your health and physical condition. However, aside from your limitations your abilities permit you to project your subconscious into others. You can read the thoughts of others within various levels of the conscious and subconscious. You have a strong perception and can detect minute details. In addition your mind has defensive and offensive capabilities."

"And what might that mean?"

"For instance you can project psychic shields, heal minor injuries or use offensive abilities like mind rend."

"Mind, _rend?_"

"To tear, split apart into pieces violently." Aoi said with indifference.

"I doubt that I would have to use something like that!" I laughed nervously.

"That is yet to be seen." The air around us turned unpleasantly ominous. "However, I too hope that such ability should never have to be used." Aoi turned her head away from me.

I could sense a sort of sadness from her. Looking back at me, I could clearly see that her eyes carried a great burden.

"Can you give me one of your arms?" Aoi asked me unexpectedly.

"Uh, ok." I said unsure of what to expect as I offered my right arm.

"This may be slightly uncomfortable." She warned me as she took ahold of my arm with both of her hands. Before I knew what was going on, Aoi gently bit into my forearm. It stung slightly, but that was about it. After a few seconds Aoi let go of my arm.

"What was that for?" I asked as I rubbed where she bit me.

"I injected nanites into you which should help you control your abilities in real space." She gave me a tiny smile and nodded. "Today's goals have been fulfilled; now you must rest. I will return us to real space." She turned around and proceeded to walk away from me. Her tread was as light as ever, almost as if she were gliding. "We will continue with preparations in three days' time, speak of this to no one. I will see you tomorrow."

Before I could say anything more, the area around me proceeded to de-res, piece by piece. It took me a moment to realize I was back in my living room alone. As a calm silence filled the air, I stayed in place for a while. My hands clenched around the red rubber ball.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_An Unexpected Realization_

I brought my hand up and looked at the red rubber ball I had created. My hand was shaking uncontrollably, clearly the shock was caching up to me; the craziness of it all was absurd! Then, when I lest expected to, I started to smile. When I should have felt lost, when I should have felt fear, I smiled. It was something that I hadn't felt for ages, something that not even Hayato was able to bring out in me. It was genuine, it was pure. I was excited! It was a childhood dream come true and to think that I am actually one of them! In the surge of excitement I noticed something crinkle in my right hand. Pocketing the red ball safely away, I inspected the mysterious object which had found its way into my possession. Folding out the creases that I had unintentionally caused I discovered that it was a small note. Written neatly inside was simple message and ten digit number. _If you need me._ Blinking I realized that Aoi must have slipped it to me right before she left. I couldn't help but be a little embarrassed for not noticing sooner.

I stumbled my way into the garage with unrestrained enthusiasm. With my mom gone, the garage space was perfect for experimenting. I positioned myself in the center of the room and took up a prepared stance. Bringing up my hand, I decided to try and change the color of the ball. Letting the ball rest on my palm, I took in a deep breath and I began to concentrate. To my astonishment and utter surprise, within a blink of an eye, I had changed the ball from red to white! At that point I was completely ecstatic by my sudden and swift success. "Now let's see what I can really do." Taking in another breath I raised my hand again. Without any effort the white ball vaporized into a brilliant azure flame. The intensity of the fire had taken me off guard. Then, before I knew it the pain kicked in. In a fit of desperation I summoned a torrent of water with my other hand and dowsed the blaze. Clutching my badly scorched hand I collapsed onto the now completely drenched floor. Cursing wildly, I had not considered protecting my hand from the flame. Before I risked from passing out from the unbearable pain I clasped my burnt hand. The pain slowly subsided as my wounded hand began to regenerate. I let out a sigh of relief, thankful that I was able to conjure up my healing ability. "Now that was a close call…"

After a moment of respite I got back onto my feet. Soaked from head to toe, I surveyed the damage. It was clear that I had completely drenched the garage space with water. Undeterred I re-took my ready stance in the center of the room. Tucking in my arms I drew in a deep and long breath, filling my lungs to maximum capacity. With one swift thought I transferred my energy outwards, emitting a blast of warm air. The water around me quickly turned to gas. Turning my arms around me I began to absorb the water vapor into my body. Within moments the room was clear.

Satisfied with my results I turned my attention to an old lamp which sat on one of the far shelves. Outstretching my hand I pictured pulling the lamp towards me. In an instant the lamp shot at me, tumbling violently. In a feat of dexterity, I managed to fortify my hand just before contact. With a satisfying impact I confidently caught the lamp. It was truly an epic moment, almost as if the gods themselves had sent an anointed weapon for me to wield! With that thought a spark of inspiration ignited within me. In a surge of light the lamp began to morph. Piece by piece the lamp broke apart into the same hexes I had observed in the Data Plume. Within a few seconds the hexes reformed into a simple, yet elegant recurved sword. The material was light, yet durable and was balanced to my basic understanding. The hilt was a hand-and-a-half and the blade measured slightly past the length of my arm. As I tapped the head of the blade on the floor, I was greeted by a soft harmonic ring, yet found that I had not felt a single vibration through my hand. I tried again with greater force. Bringing the sword above my head, I put all of my weight on the downward arc. Not only had the force of impact been completely absorbed, I had lodged the blade two inches into the solid concrete floor! Bracing myself I tried to dislodge the head from the ground, but it was no use. Even with both hands the sword would not budge.

Taking a step back, I recollected myself. Brute strength wouldn't solve this. With my right hand I took ahold of the hilt once more, channeling my energy into the blade. It began to glow a very soft red, and with that I was able to pull it out of the ground with a slight tug. I looked at the gash in the concrete floor and let out a sigh. How the hell am I going to explain _that_ to my mom? As I deconstructed the blade back to its original form my vision started to darken, almost if someone had dimmed the lights. Puzzled, I tried to shake it off, but my vision remained affected. Beginning to lose balance I was forced onto my knees, then to all fours. Before I knew it I was out cold.

* * *

I was again mesmerized by the sunset. Watching a pair of crows fly away I could hear the chime for curfew in the distance. The paddies where framed in a beautiful light, the gentle wind braking waves on the green sea of rice stalks. Today had been a good day and I felt happy that I had been with my friends. And what was even better was that dad would be home today! I wonder if he brought something back from his trip for me? Not wanting to wait any longer I started to run home. I haven't seen him in such a long time; it's felt like years since I last saw him!

But why did my house have to be so far away? No matter how far I go, it's just rice paddies after rice paddies! Twilight quickly greeted me and the air began to cool. I doubled my efforts at the thought of being scolded for returning home late. At this rate I won't make it back before dark. Exhausted from running I decided to stop and rest for a moment. The air was cold and unsettling, heavily contrasting from the warm weather I had felt not moments ago. Caught in the light of a pale moon, the path continued to stretch ever further. Everything was quiet, not a single sound could be heard apart from my breath and beating heart. I could not hear the wind or the earth. Nor could I hear the frogs croak or the insects chirp. The rice stalks that had once flowed with life stood motionless, as if in anticipation.

Suddenly the moonlight disappeared, replaced by a single ominous aura far in front of me. As I stared at the only source of light I noticed that it was coming closer. It did not take long until I started to make out its form. With each silent step it took towards me, its disproportioned features became clearer and clearer. Nothing could describe the horror and utter helplessness I had felt staring wide eyed at the daemon before me. My eyes burned with fear as its eyes fixated on mine.

"Pureheart, why are you afraid of the dark?" The daemon said with the most soothing voice I could have ever imagined. It brought its face down to mine, so close that our noses where almost touching. The daemon smelled of sweet flowers and I could feel the warmth of its body. Light flowed and wisped from its scalp like hair, which was strangely alluring. Yet its eyes betrayed any sort of reassurance or comfort. Its form was corrupt and altered which only added to my confusion and terror. The contradicting feelings where overwhelming. I could not move a single inch, nor could I break away from its deathly gaze. "Is it the realization of how insignificant you really are? Is it the fear of the unknown?" The daemon smiled, its breath smelled of death. "Or…" It paused as if it finally understood "…is it because you are afraid of being left alone?" It purred in my ears.

To my surprise I spoke out involuntarily "W-what are y-you?" My younger voice faltered in fear.

Its right arm grew into a talon and with one swift thrust pierced my heart. Its eyes stared into mine as I gasped in surprise. Revealing its pearly white teeth it smiled "You can call me Pale."

* * *

Clutching my chest, I shot up into a sitting position rather violently. Winded, it took a moment for me to recover my breath.

"Are you alright?"

I exclaimed in surprise when I discovered that I was not alone.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'" the stranger said as he crouched right next to me. "You must have had an awful dream." he said giving me a peculiar smile. "You really had me worried there. It would have been a shame to have lost you so soon." I tried to back away from him, but my muscles failed me. "Relax; I'm not here to kill you Kiyo." The stranger showed his hands in a peaceful gesture. "In fact, killing you would be rather disadvantageous."

Even if you say that I don't know who the hell you are! "Who are you and what do you want from me?"

"I am a friend." He replied. "And I simply wish to talk to you."

Whoever he was there was no way I could fight him in my current condition. I had no other choice but to trust his word.

"Where am I?" My senses were still shaken from the nightmare. What had I even been doing?

"We are in your garage. You passed out from over exerting yourself. Try not to be so careless next time Kiyo. You owe me."

Oh right… I was experimenting with my abilities. But what did he mean by saying I owe him? His ambiguity was not helping one bit. I couldn't help but feel uneasy around him. "You know my name," I frowned, "yet you won't tell me yours."

"Yes, how rude of me." He offered me a hand. "You can call me Tsuji."

Tsuji had a presence about him and I was rather impressed with how he was dressed. He wore a very expensive looking red pinstripe two piece suit with a crimson dress shirt and white tie. He was barely taller than me and it appeared that we were the same age. His hair was a very dark shade of orange and his face was, well I should say handsome and I am not afraid to say that. He had a good face, but what I found most striking about his countenance was his jade green eyes. I had never seen anything quite like his before, at least on a human. Yet there was something different about his eyes. They looked unnatural and calculating.

Taking his hand Tsuji helped me onto my feet. I managed to stand, but my body was still weak. Thankfully Tsuji didn't appear to be some daemonic creature, but it was obvious that he was not an ordinary human. Something was clearly different about him.

"You're not _normal_ are you?" I asked.

"I guess you can say that." He continued to give me that peculiar smile of his. "And I can say the same for you too Kiyo."

"So, what are you?"

"I am a Time Traveler." Tsuji said simply. "But unlike your alien friend I'm just an ordinary human with an extraordinary set of skills."

I was surprised, "You know Aoi?" she hadn't mentioned anything about Tsuji.

"Yes I do. We share a sort of colleagueship if you could call it that." Tsuji shrugged. "There had not been a need to work together until recently. Four months ago, we had only been trading information. But a lot has happed since then."

"I see." I felt slightly relieved to know that Aoi had worked with Tsuji before.

"Anyway," Tsuji cleared his throat, "that is beside the point. I am here because I need your help Kiyo."

"And what might that be?" I asked, curious to know what a time traveler might want from me.

"I have a mission which is vital to the stability to our current timeline. It is a simple task, but it can only be completed by you Kiyo."

Wait what? How can 'a mission which is vital to the stability to our current timeline' be a simple task? And on top of that why does the success have to rely on me? Oh whatever. "What will I have to do?"

What Tsuji said next stunned me. "I have no idea."

"What do you mean you have no idea?!" I said getting rather upset.

"Yes I apologize." Tsuji laughed casually, clearly finding my frustration amusing. "Unfortunately I cannot tell you the specifics of our assignment." He explained. "I work on a need to know basis as a precautionary measure."

There has to be something you can tell me. There is no way you could possibly 'have no idea'! "Is there anything you can tell me?"

"All I know is that Miss Hirano should have you prepared by Friday." Tsuji inspected his wristwatch. "I wish I can stay and talk more, but it seems that we are out of time."

Hey, wait a minute!

"Oh I almost forgot." Tsuji paused as he began to walk away from me. "Miss Hirano may have stopped her for now, but do not underestimate Pale."

"Wait, who?" I said in horror at the mention of that name.

"I'll see you Friday." Tsuji turned and gave me a small bow. "It was a pleasure to meet you Pureheart." Then with a loud crack and a rush of air Tsuji disappeared instantly before my eyes.

* * *

'Click, click.'

As I sat in my living room with Hayato the only thing I could think about was yesterday.

'Click, click, click, thump, click, click.'

Today had gone by at an agonizingly slow pace, but at least it was over.

_Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap!_

Maybe I should have talked to Aoi…

"YO, Kiyo! Hey, you there buddy?"

"Hmmm?" I looked at Hayato lazily.

"I died, it's your turn." Hayato handed the controller to me. He let out an anguished sigh. "Damnit! Legendary is just too freaking hard!"

I brought my attention back to the real world, as if waking from a vivid dream.

As I took the controller from his hands Hayato gave me a look of concern, "Your heads been in the clouds alls day Kiyo, you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine." I mumbled out.

Hayato eyed me silently, obviously aware that something was awry. However he decided not to pursue further, "If yous says so."

But he was right; I wasn't exactly fine. My encounter with Tsuji had been an unsettling experience. It was impossible to take my mind off of it. Unlike Aoi, my immediate impression of Tsuji had been negative. There was no denying that he was a slippery character. His smile alone was more than enough to justify my mistrust in him.

"Kiyo?"

Tsuji had been ambiguous during our whole conversation. He said he was a time traveler, but said nothing more. He said he knew Aoi, but for vague reasons. And he told me he needed my help for 'a mission which is vital to the current stability of our timeline', yet he couldn't tell me the details. How did he expect me to trust him? It was obvious that Tsuji knew more than he let on. Then again, couldn't I say the same thing about Aoi? I had found it easy to trust her right away, but wasn't she as dangerous as that time traveler? Isn't she also withholding information from me? And she said it herself, I was meant to be used as a tool for her Overmind's purpose. Then why did I trust her?

"Hey, Kiyo?"

Then there was the nightmare….

"Kiyo!"

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what'? You're staring at the screen."

Coming back to my senses once again I realized that I had stopped playing.

"Are you sure you're alrights Kiyo?"

I rubbed my eyes, my skull felt numb and my mind was a daze of scattered thoughts.

Making up his mind Hayato decided to head home. "I'll get going so you can rests. You look exhausted." With a warm smile Hayato gave me a reassuring slap on the back. "I'll see you tomorrow." Getting up I followed Hayato to the door to see him out. I tried to give a smile in return, but it was forced. With Hayato disappearing from my view I threw myself onto the couch and let out a long sigh. With my eyelids beginning to feel heavy, I let myself be taken away by my thoughts once more.

* * *

Looking out into the great expanse I could see the blue blades of grass sway with the wind, making lazy waves like a calm sea. Not knowing how I got here, or really cared why, I decided to lie down on one of the myriad of rolling hills. With my hands behind my head I let myself become lost in depths of the sky. As I took in a deep breath the air smelt sweet and refreshing. I could see the sun starting its slow decent into the horizon. As the evening's light washed the landscape in a warm glow I couldn't help but feel melancholic.

"Hello" said a soft and familiar voice.

Glancing over to my left I saw Aoi take a place beside me, propping herself up with her arms behind her. Her white summer dress made her look delicate and fragile and her hair moved with alluring beauty, almost as if it was flowing gently under water.

It didn't take me long to understand where I was. "This is a dream isn't it?"

Aoi simply nodded her head in confirmation.

"And you're real?"

Aoi nodded again, this time with a smile. "Yes, I'm real."

I ran my hands through the soft grass. It was hard to believe that this was all just a dream. "Well, since you're here, I can assume that you're here to prepare me for tomorrow."

Aoi nodded once more, however her smile quickly faded away.

"And is it safe to say that you know Tsuji?"

"Yes I know the Time Traveler."

"And this mission?"

"It is vital to the stability of our current timeline and your own personal growth."

"And if I don't go?"

"Then our enemies will be successful and the world as we know it will no longer exist."

I let out a sigh, "I guess I don't really have a choice do I?"

"I'm sorry it had to be like this. I thought we would have more time, but I underestimated them." Aoi wrapped her arms around her knees, her expression turning into a look of anguish. "I underestimated her." She admitted. "I almost killed you."

"Wait what do you mean…?" I recalled what Tsuji had said before he had disappeared. As the realization hit me, I couldn't help but feel terrified. The thought sent shivers down my spine. "You don't mean that thing almost killed me again?" My chest ached as I recalled the final moments of the nightmare.

Aoi brought her legs in closer. "Pale, I thought I destroyed her the first time. I even made sure as we translated out of the closed space to purge any residual data." She said muffling herself against her knees. "But she somehow survived. If it wasn't for the Time Traveler she would have killed you. I should have been more careful, I should've known better!"

I quickly regained my composure. "But I'm alive aren't I?" I said sitting up. I might have almost been killed a second time within the same day, but there was no point to be so hung over it! "Don't hate yourself over something you had no control over. What matters now is for me to be ready for tomorrow." If what Aoi said about me was true, about the extent of my abilities, then I should be able to defeat Pale. It would only be a matter of learning how.

Aoi lightened up a little. "Alright." It was strange to see Aoi display such strong emotions. The way she talked, the way she acted was noticeably different from the Aoi I had only met a day ago. If anything, Aoi was more human here.

"So what do we have to do?"

"I will teach you how to use Data Projection."

"Data Projection?"

Aoi let herself fall next to me and began to explain. "Data Projection is where you can enter minds of other beings. It's hard to explain, but figuratively you are still connected to your own body when you link your conscious to the host. In this case you are the host and I am projecting my conscious into yours while you are sleeping. That is why we are sharing the same dream right now. There are also different levels to data projection such as reading minds and surface thoughts. I'll teach you everything there is to know about it in preparation for your mission."

"But what about learning how to fight, shouldn't I prepare for that?"

"From what I know, that won't be necessary. The length of your assignment is short, simple, and does not require combat. That is why I am teaching you Data Projection. Know that knowledge is power and can be used to avoid direct confrontation if the situation arises." Well that's fair enough.

"Do you think I'll be ready?"

Aoi answered without a pause, "I have no doubt in my mind you will be ready." She looked confidently into my eyes. "If there is anything that I have learned," She said as if she was recollecting a fond memory "I know that you are always able to pull through, no matter what."

Although I was slightly confused by what she had said, Aoi's conviction in me was encouraging. I couldn't help but feel a little bit embarrassed.

"I never expected for you to trust me as easily as you have." Aoi said with a smile on her face. "It makes me happy to know that."


End file.
